Specific Goal: My goal is to inform my audience about Dave Ramsey’s steps for financial success. Thesis Statement: Dave Ramsey has a method that has helped millions of people beat debt, stick to a budget, and build wealth. Introduction A. Attention-getter: How many of you have listened to Dave Ramsey’s radio show? For those who have not heard it, Dave Ramsey has a talk show that people can call into for financial advice and to share their success stories. Some people even call in to yell, “We’re debt-free!” B. Motivate the audience to listen: Did you know that 50% of Americans are in debt and half of that 50% owes thousands of dollars? Each one of you has a choice to make: either you can be part of the 50% of Americans that …show more content…
are in debt or the 50% that are debt free. You can choose to stay out of debt by living within your means. If you are currently in debt, you can choose to not become enslaved by it. How you handle your money will affect your whole life. C.
Establish credibility: The concept of “acting your wage” is something that has been instilled in me since I was young, but in the more recent years I have learned some great financial advice through reading some things Dave Ramsey has said or written, visiting his website, and listening to him on the radio. D. Preview main points: My goal is to inform you about Dave Ramsey’s steps for financial success. He has a method that has helped millions of people beat debt, stick to a budget, and build …show more content…
wealth. II. Body Transition: The first step to financial success is to become debt-free. A. Dave Ramsey said, “There are no short cuts to being debt-free. Get out of debt the same way you learned to walk- one step at a time.” 1. Before you start attacking your debt, save up $1,000 as fast as you can, and start an emergency fund for unexpected events in life. Dave Ramsey said, You don't want to dig a deeper hole while you're trying to work your way out. 2. Next Dave Ramsey suggests using the “debt snowball” method to pay off your debts. First, list all of your debts from smallest to largest- besides the house. Pay off the smallest debt first, then add what you were paying on it to the next debt and start attacking it. You will be debt-free sooner than you think! 3. Once you become debt-free, put 3–6 months’ worth of your living expenses into an emergency savings fund so you will never be in debt again—no matter what life brings! Transition: The second step to financial success is to stick to a monthly budget. B. Living on a budget can prevent you from ever getting into debt, or help you not get into debt again if you have been in debt before. Dave Ramsey said, “Unless you control your money, making more money won’t help. You’ll just have bigger payments.” 1. The slide I have prepared has a copy of Dave Ramsey’s monthly budget form from his book The Total Money Makeover. You can also find it on Dave Ramsey’s website. This budget form allows you to see exactly how much money is going into savings, housing, utilities, food, transportation, clothing, medical, personal, and entertainment. Subtract the total savings and expenses from the amount of money you bring in per month. The total should be zero. If you end up with extra money that is not accounted for, add it to your savings. If you come up with a negative number, you will have to figure out which categories can be cut back. 2.
You often think of large, extravagant purchases as being the cause of debt, and while you do need to be careful about those, you also need to think about the small purchases you make from day to day on unnecessary things. For example, while I am a firm believer in coffee being a necessity in life, I do not believe you have to spend five dollars every morning on coffee from Starbucks in order to fulfill your need. Other things such as vending machine candy bars and gas station energy drinks are great for college student emergencies but are generally not the best use of your money. Before you make a purchase, consider what else you could do with that money. Transition- The third step to financial success is to build wealth. C. For a lot of you, retirement is probably the last thing on your mind, but it is never to early to start thinking about and preparing for your future by creating good financial habits. Once you get a solid financial foundation, it's time to get serious about retirement and build long-term wealth. You have a lot of options between your 401(k), Roth IRA, and Traditional IRA. Decide what is right for your situation, and put 15% of your income toward the retirement of your
dreams. 2. The next step is to start saving for your kids' college expenses so that you will be ahead of the game when your kids graduate from high school. 3. Once you create a monthly budget, start saving money for your retirement and your kids’ college fund, and have no other debts, it’s time to worry about the one thing that is keeping you from being 100% debt-free- the one debt that Dave Ramsey said he won’t yell about-- the house payment. 4. Once you are 100% debt-free, the money you were using to pay off your debt is now going toward building your wealth. Dave Ramsey said, “You know what people with no debt and no payments can do? Anything they want! And it's all because you had discipline for a few years. Now that's leaving a legacy. It took perseverance and good habits to get you here. Keep setting goals and budgeting every month. Stay intense and have fun along the way!” Transition - In conclusion, if you follow Dave Ramsey’s method, your life will be changed forever. III. Conclusion A. Dave Ramsey’s three steps to financial success are to conquer debt, stick to a budget, and build wealth. B. I hope these steps didn’t sound so easy that you are no longer afraid of getting into debt, because there is work involved with overcoming debt. But on the other hand, if you do find yourself in debt, it is possible to get out. C. Once you have taken Dave Ramsey’s steps to financial success, it’s time to celebrate! Your final step would be to call in to Dave Ramsey’s talk show and share your success story! And don’t forget to yell, “We’re debt-free!”
What would you do if you had $15,000? Would you give some to charity, or perhaps buy a new car? Maybe you could finally get that watch or purse that you’ve always wanted. The problem is that many people thought they had this much money. Unfortunately, it was all on a credit card and now they are paying 18% extra on their purchases; in some cases, even more than that. That equates to you paying roughly $18,000 dollars for something that only cost $15,000. Many Americans are faced with these bills today, but there is hope. There are people out there who want to get us out of debt, and back on our feet. This essay will look at two of those people; Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman. You will have to decide which will work best for you. Hopefully
Wilson states that for the 65 percent of students that graduate with debt, the average amount owed is a staggering $20,000.00. On the contrary, as many as a third of all college students will graduate with no debt at all. Some may think that $20k is an outrageous amount of debt. But if you consider what the average adult spends on their first new car, it puts things into perspective. A new 2016 Nissan Rogue SUV for $20k could be paid off in an average of 4-5 years. This is where one would argue about what
My involvement in all of the activities mentioned above has taught me to be concerned
The Millionaire Next Door written by William Danko and Thomas J. Stanley illustrates the misconception of high luxury spenders in wealthy neighborhoods are considered wealthy. This clarifies that American’s who drive expensive cars, and live in lavish homes are not millionaires and financially independent. The authors show the typical millionaire are one that is frugal, and disciplined. Their cars are used, and their suits were purchased at a discount. As we read the book from cover to cover are misconceptions start to fade. The typical millionaire is very frugal in all endeavors and finds the best discounts possible. A budget is implemented daily, monthly, and annually for a typical millionaire. They live by the budget and are goal oriented. Living well below their means is crucial for a millionaire, and discovering ways to allocate time and money more efficiently. The typical millionaire next door is different than the majority of America presumes. Let’s first off mention what it is not. The typical millionaire is surprisingly not the individual with the lavish house worth a million dollars, owning multiple expensive cars, a boat, expensive clothes, and ultimately living lavishly. The individual is frugal and often looks for discounts for consumable goods. The book illustrates the typical millionaire in one simple word: frugal. It is shocking to believe that this is true, but it does make sense. To achieve financial independence is inherently more satisfying and important than accumulating wealth. According to the book the majority of these millionaires portray characteristics of being sacrificial, disciplined, persistent and frugal. In the book it states, “Being frugal is the cornerstone of wealth-building. Yet far too often th...
The idea that coffee stunts growth is a myth; hereditary determines a person 's height, and coffee provided benefits for an individual 's health. Although adding coffee addictions such as sugar and creamer detracts from coffees commendable health effects would not be beneficial. This brown, liquid, hot fresh beverage has proven through various studies and experiments, why individuals must drink coffee everyday. As stated before, over half of all Americans drink coffee everyday, with the population’s height growing every year. Perhaps, as years progress the height will keep getting towering, making the myth
“A Millionaire in Blue Jeans?” One of the most valuable principles is found in the very first chapter. Our authors do a wonderful job at dispelling any delusions we have regarding what a Millionaire looks like. I had long assumed, like many others, that the Millionaires of America were the hyperconsumers and elaborate spenders. In fact, we learn that just the opposite is true. I came to understand that, “Wealth is not the same as income”. (The Millionaire Next Door, p. 1, Stanley & Danko) In many cases, income is not at the forefront of relevancy when determining whether someone will become wealthy. There are several factors involved, but ultimately, if a person spends their entire income, the number value of said income simply doesn’t matter. The old age adage regarding spending less than you make is of much more importance. In the Church, this is referred to as ‘living below our means’. We have often been counseled to exercise restraint regarding our spending habits, and have also been commanded to obtain a level of financially secure by building up our savings, staying out of debt, and living within our means. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, (2006), 11423) It seems rather silly that a large percentage of our population would be under the assumption that living a large lifestyle, along with the accumulation of fancy things, would somehow equate to wealth. After reading the book, I have come to understand that many of us have an extremely distorted relationship with money, in the assumption that money is to get and spend, while those who are authentic accumulators of wealth understand that money should be invested and stored up as a measure of safety and peace.
Caffeine and coffee are a daily part of life for most people in modern society. The discovery of the coffee bean is said to have been in Ethiopia, when a sleepy eyed goat herder noticed his goats eating red berries, he then noticed the effect it had on them as they jumped and danced around him. He then tasted the berries and his eyes opened wide, he took them to the local village who also liked it and in particular the monks who used the berries to keep them awake during meditation.
Scrutiny of caffeine and its effects has increased dramatically in the last 20 years, due in part to an increase in consumption of caffeine. In fact, coffee consumption among young adults rose to 3.2 cups per day in 2008 from 2.4 cups per day in 2005 (Rokerya 1). For instance, in a one hour period, on Richland College’s on-campus Starbucks, the author took note of how many customers arrived and purchased a cup of coffee. Between 8:00 and 9:00 AM, there were 51 customers, implying that – especially at college - many people are dependent on coffee in the mornings. However, the results from these studies are inconclusive and often somewhat contradictory – many studies (such as that by Tetsuya Ohara et al.) show that caffeine is a great boon to
I. (Attention Getter) Only 2 people out of the 19 responses I got from the survey have started saving for their retirement.
The media fails to project the negative effects of excessive caffeine intake. This literature review will illustrate how excessive caffeine consumption can be detrimental to one’s life, and how problematic caffeine use derives from conditioning by the caffeine industry. Caffeine is the single most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the United States (Einöther & Giesbrecht, 2013). According to Einöther and Giesbrecht (2013), 80% of the world’s population consumes caffeinated products every day, with coffee and tea being the primary sources. In the recent years, the demand for coffee has increased, causing the caffeine industry to create an expansion of coffee shops, new caffeinated beverages (Bailey, Saldanha, Gahche, & Dwyer, 2014), and mass-media advertising.
Coffee is the first thing that people associate with instant energy on a groggy morning. “In the U.S., coffee is king of beverages” (Reinke) Research has been done that has named coffee as an addiction to the people who consume large quantities of it. Coffee was named the top source of antioxidants. This is partly because of the amount consumed each day. Some of the antioxidants that coffee has are quinines and chlorogenic acid. It also contains trigonelline, an antibacterial compound. This is where coffee acquires its delicious aroma. Now let’s step back for a minute and just think about how much caffeine people consume. In an 8oz cup of coffee it has about 85 milligrams of caffeine. This is about double the amount that tea contains. Studies have shown that caffeine stimulates the brain and nervous system. This is where you get that energized feeling. After about the third cup, knees start to bounce, pens are clicking and people start running laps around the office. Caffeine can become addicting if you drink too much. Coffee can become that addictive habit people are unable to shake.
Ferdman, A. Roberto. (2015, Feb. 21). It’s official: Americans should drink more coffee. The Washington Post.
Americans are obsessed with a lot of things: our smart phones, celebrities, and finding a good bargain. But perhaps the thing we’re most obsessed with is good ol’ coffee. For many of us, our mornings are perfectly diabolical without at least a cup or two or three of the stuff. And, come 2 o’clock, when we know in our heart and bones we’ll never make it ‘til five and we need that pick me up, many of us head to the nearest deli or barista to grab a cup of “second wind.”
Coffee people drink coffee with a purpose, they need the caffeine to make them more alert and increase their productivity. On the other hand, tea drinkers usually drink tea because of the enjoyment that tea give them, the relaxations that tea provide. It is typical to imagine that a person holding a cup of coffee is working over night at an office and a tea person is often reading newspaper at Sunday afternoon. Unlike tea drinkers, coffee drinkers are more attached to their drink compared to tea drinkers. A coffee drinker must have his coffee fix every single morning otherwise he or she cannot function without it. However, a tea drinker can easily live without drinking tea for even a few days. Even though they both have caffeine inside their drink, coffee drinkers seem to be more addicted to caffeine and as time goes, they will become more dependent on
Mortgages, car loans, student loans, and having children, are all situations that can drive families to the overwhelming doom of debt. Debt is mostly overlooked for the simple reason that it may be considered normal. Certain types of debt, like car and mortgage payments, are almost always expected. Debt is sometimes very difficult to evade, especially if money is not managed sensibly. Many families accumulate debt due to overspending, medical bills, and unemployment.